Vinyl polysiloxane impression material in removable prosthodontics. Part 3: implant and external impressions

Today, dental implant therapy is considered a valuable asset of mainstream dental therapeutics by both patients and clinicians. In many ways, the availability of implant therapy to facilitate the support, stability, and retention of dental prostheses has revolutionized the profession and the procedures dentists accomplish on a daily basis. From another perspective, the procedures used to fabricate dental implant restorations are but modifications of previously existing, proven, and reliable techniques. This is particularly true when considering impression making for implant overdentures. Part 3 of this article series looks at the use of vinyl polysiloxane impression material systems for making definitive impressions for implant overdentures. Once constructed, it is critical that all removable dental prostheses possess external contours that are geometrically compatible with the anatomic and functional requirements of the oral tissues. Therefore, this article also will address a technique for diagnostically assessing external denture contours using vinyl polysiloxane external impression procedures.